Ngā Puna Mātaraunga o Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta Upper Hutt Libraries have unique ways of reaching their community. With two mobile libraries, the EV Mangaroa and Pūrehurehu, as well as their Manaaki Cart, Upper Hutt Libraries outreach services can be found at most local festivals and community events, council events, schools, parks, early childhood centres, and older people's facilities. These vehicles are not just your average libraries on wheels, they are a unique and intriguing way to bring the joy of reading to communities.
Two smaller and more flexible vehicles were chosen when the older and larger mobile library needed replacing. Pūrehurehu mobile library provides a more traditional mobile library service, visiting schools and places where library users can climb the steps to view and choose their books.
Mangaroa is New Zealand’s first electric mobile library service. Acknowledging local place names, flora and fauna once abundant in the upper reaches of Te Awa Kairangi (Hutt River), the name Mangaroa (Long Stream) was selected for the new EV to acknowledge the Mangaroa River one of the four main tributaries feeding Te Awa Kairangi.
Two smaller and more flexible vehicles were chosen when the older and larger mobile library needed replacing. Pūrehurehu mobile library provides a more traditional mobile library service, visiting schools and places where library users can climb the steps to view and choose their books.
Mangaroa is New Zealand’s first electric mobile library service. Acknowledging local place names, flora and fauna once abundant in the upper reaches of Te Awa Kairangi (Hutt River), the name Mangaroa (Long Stream) was selected for the new EV to acknowledge the Mangaroa River one of the four main tributaries feeding Te Awa Kairangi.
Mangaroa and Pūrehurehu. Image Upper Hutt Libraries.
The artwork on Mangaroa and its custom-built portable shelving feature iconic scenes the community of Upper Hutt knows and loves, with references to Te Awa Kairangi and the flora and fauna surrounding the city. The landscape imagery on the EV includes books and illustrations of solar panels to serve as reminders of the mobile library service's eco-friendly nature.
The specially designed shelves can be rolled out of the vehicle and taken into the facilities—this works for retirement villages where climbing steps isn’t easy and for early childcare centres. Shelving unit displays are also on the side of Mangaroa for customers to choose items from.
“These vehicles give us the most amazing flexibility to respond to any situation,” says Denise Clarkson Upper Hutt libraries Manager.
Choosing an EV was important to the library. Their council was putting greater emphasis
on sustainable practices and an EV aligned with that direction and what they were trying to do at the library.
“It’s great for getting attention from non-library users as it creates a talking point. And when it comes to sustainability, why not tread more lightly on the earth if you can? The cost-benefit analysis works out cheaper too.”
These smaller vehicles make it much easier to access facilities that might have difficult driveways or turning areas. Because they are smaller, staff don’t need a heavy traffic licence to drive them.
Library users love the new vehicles. “Sometimes we have them parked out the back of the library or facility and people come and see the eye-catching murals and tail lift when we are loading and unloading as they want to know more. Children get excited when they see us.”
“There’s still a lot of residents that don’t know about what we do – so we always look for an excuse to take Mangaroa and Pūrehurehu out to the community and sell our libraries services.”
The specially designed shelves can be rolled out of the vehicle and taken into the facilities—this works for retirement villages where climbing steps isn’t easy and for early childcare centres. Shelving unit displays are also on the side of Mangaroa for customers to choose items from.
“These vehicles give us the most amazing flexibility to respond to any situation,” says Denise Clarkson Upper Hutt libraries Manager.
Choosing an EV was important to the library. Their council was putting greater emphasis
on sustainable practices and an EV aligned with that direction and what they were trying to do at the library.
“It’s great for getting attention from non-library users as it creates a talking point. And when it comes to sustainability, why not tread more lightly on the earth if you can? The cost-benefit analysis works out cheaper too.”
These smaller vehicles make it much easier to access facilities that might have difficult driveways or turning areas. Because they are smaller, staff don’t need a heavy traffic licence to drive them.
Library users love the new vehicles. “Sometimes we have them parked out the back of the library or facility and people come and see the eye-catching murals and tail lift when we are loading and unloading as they want to know more. Children get excited when they see us.”
“There’s still a lot of residents that don’t know about what we do – so we always look for an excuse to take Mangaroa and Pūrehurehu out to the community and sell our libraries services.”
 Manaaki Cart. Image credit StudioC |  Linda and Mirjam with Mangaroa. Image credit Angie Cairncross. |
Visits to remote schools are now possible and extending visits to afterschool times means parents can also use the mobile library service.
The vehicles also support one-off community events and regularly attend council community events, recreation and sports events, and festivals. During the recent July school holidays, the vehicles featured heavily in Upper Hutt City Council’s Uplay school holiday events, with pop-up visits to rural schools, remote suburbs, parks and playgrounds.
“We even participate in the Santa Parade – it’s a way to get out there to non-library users.”
Another innovation in their outreach service is the Manaaki Cart consultation wagon, which was designed and built with NZLPP funding and finished just before COVID stalled plans for its initial launch.
The Manaaki Cart fits into Mangaroa and can be used for outreach events. It has great interactive components, including mini polls, to capture feedback from the community. Flip out tables and stools where a laptop can be used help introduce library products like LinkedIn Learning and e-books.
However, the Outreach Team learned their lesson at a Libraries in the Park pop-up event, "We’ll try to sign-post ourselves better, but we might also have to take ice blocks in the future, as some children were disappointed to find out Mangaroa was not an ice cream truck!”
The vehicles also support one-off community events and regularly attend council community events, recreation and sports events, and festivals. During the recent July school holidays, the vehicles featured heavily in Upper Hutt City Council’s Uplay school holiday events, with pop-up visits to rural schools, remote suburbs, parks and playgrounds.
“We even participate in the Santa Parade – it’s a way to get out there to non-library users.”
Another innovation in their outreach service is the Manaaki Cart consultation wagon, which was designed and built with NZLPP funding and finished just before COVID stalled plans for its initial launch.
The Manaaki Cart fits into Mangaroa and can be used for outreach events. It has great interactive components, including mini polls, to capture feedback from the community. Flip out tables and stools where a laptop can be used help introduce library products like LinkedIn Learning and e-books.
However, the Outreach Team learned their lesson at a Libraries in the Park pop-up event, "We’ll try to sign-post ourselves better, but we might also have to take ice blocks in the future, as some children were disappointed to find out Mangaroa was not an ice cream truck!”
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